St John The Baptist School

INTRODUCTION

The main agenda of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa (FMSA) is to empower the marginalised individuals and communities and bring about transformative change in the society as they are usually the furthest left behind. We are continuously developing the school structures, the learning systems and environment so as to beautify the school, improve literacy and gain a competitive advantage of an increase in enrolment rates through the generously funding grants from various entities. We are of great hope and enthusiasm that when all the undergoing projects are completed St John the Baptist School will suffice to improved physical and safety conditions, enhanced educational environment, provide updated technological infrastructure and increased accessibility of facilities for disability access. The construction of the staff house block has helped to ensure better and improved learning as the provision of accommodation for the teachers will allow them to be in class on time. This means that the pupils are now going to have adequate leaning periods and as a result the pass rate increases which will attract more students and teachers. We will forever be thankful to organizations like the Beit Trust for the generous funding.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT

The project aimed to increase access to quality education for the rural poor in Odzi, Mutare by constructing a teacher’s house ensuring teacher retention and uninterrupted learning. The teacher’s apartment was constructed and it comprises of a semidetached one bed roomed and two bed roomed structure. The activities on the BOQ that were done included substructure up to DPC Level, Brickwork in superstructure and reinforcement, Roof covering and roof timber-Roof structure and window sills, Metalwork, Plastering and floor ceiling, plumbing and drainage, septic tank and soak away.

In addition, there were other activities that were not on the BOQ that were undertaken like the 3Kvasolar system installation that is able to cater for home entertainment, lighting and fridge. We opted for this cleaner source of energy as it offers manly benefits including reduced electricity bills, reduced carbon emissions, low maintenance costs. The staff house block was also finished with kitchen cupboards and fitted wardrobes.This was a tailored solution to utilize the available space and offering maximum amount of storage space possible. The final benefit of installing bespoke furniture in the house is that it is a cost-effective storage solution that will stand the test of time.

The contractor advised to use face bricks which were to be vanished instead of using common bricks that needed to be plastered, have rinocet applied and painting. So the adoption of the recommendation made it possible to save money that was then channelled to paving. Another reason why paving was done is for protection of the environment. An unpaved area is highly vulnerable to elements. Rough weather conditions like rain and wind can wash off the sand and can cause surfaces to become extremely damaged which are hard to repair. As the soil is washed away, the foundation is weakened which poses a major safety risk.

We managed to cut costs on the purchase of a tank and tank stand as we got them at a promotional price. As a result, we managed to factor in the costs incurred for putting in place a retaining wall. This was seen as a need to prevent erosion, improve the drainage and for design purpose by directing the flow of water. The saving also helped to cater for costs of levelling the soil behind the returning wall so that if it is to rain the water will easy flow into the channels rather than if it was left heaped it was going to be washed away or disturb the flow of water.

CHALLENGES

During the construction process there were a few like On-site electrical issues were a challenge that delayed building completion therefore putting pressure on contractors and delays in starting in their next tasks. This was due to water levels behind Zimbabwe’s main hydropower dam, which produces nearly 70% of the nation’s electricity, dropping too low to reliably generate power, forcing utility managers to impose rolling blackouts that last for hours per day which forced them to work at night when electricity was available. The crisis then attracted extra cost for the supply and upkeep of generators.

We had a challenge to choose which teachers to occupy the beautiful modern house. The apartment accommodates 2 staff members out of 15 staff who are in need of standard accommodation. There is a need for more staff house.

IMPACT OF THE PROJECT

The project made a great impact as shown in the summation below:
Skilled teachers–The teachers were really humbled by the generous act by Beit Trust and they pointed out that staying at the school will save on time as they will not be walking longer distances. It is noted that a good environment for staff to work is going to encourage staff retention and attract the best teachers that can be found, a factor that is becoming more and more important for overall goal and other school inspections, examinations and results. This means that children will have uninterrupted learning where they will concentrate on studying knowing teachers are available for guidance and motivation.

Pupils– Living conditions of teachers has been taken care of at the school and learners have been educated on issues that speak on their rights and to value education. There has been a marked improvement of grades in school owing to students working hard with school facilities available for them to fully utilize. The improved grades will constantly motivate students to aim higher and seek further education which will further improve the face of the community in future consisting of an educated population.

Community – It is fair to say that during the official opening the community showed gratitude for the generous donation by the Beit Trust and they promised to keep on encouraging pupils to work harder and maximise the existence of their teachers and facilities. The community has embraced the change coming their way in developing the school and would be seen assisting in the construction of house and other school projects through voluntary labour. The construction of the staff house has positively influenced parents’ perception and satisfaction with the school and will help move up the league tables and attract good pupils as well.

OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY

We had a blissful ceremony that was facilitated by the Project Manager and had a short devotion and prayer led by the Priest. This was followed by the speech from pupils applauding the Beit Trust for the wonderful work done.